The Festival of the Chariots, also known as Ratha-yatra, or “cart-festival”, originates from an ancient tradition in India. It commemorates a joyous celebration of life and glorification of God. The ancient annual Ratha-yatra parade in Jagannatha Puri, India, attracts one million people every year. The tradition was brought to the West in 1967 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Today it is celebrated in most major cities of the world, including London, Moscow, Toronto, Johannesburg, Delhi ,New York , Chennai and Bangalore.

Nothing charms devotees and the public alike more than the Ratha-yatra parade of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. The Ratha-yatra parade occurs two weeks later when Jagannatha comes out from His traditional period of seclusion after His grand bathing ceremony. He mounts His chariot for the Ratha-yatra parade and any person who pulls on the attached ropes becomes liberated from the cycle of samsara. Prasadam, kirtan, transcendental books, enlightening exhibits and colorful entertainment is lavished upon tens of thousands of surprised participants.

This year , ISKCON Jodhpur will be celebrating its 4th Annual Ratha Yatra in the city of Jodhpur.

Candana Yatra is a festival during the hot season in India in which the Deities are covered with sandalwood paste (candana) to cool them. (This is generally impractical in the West, where it is cold during this time.)
The 21 days festival begins on the day of Akshay Tritiya by all the marble deities being covered sandalwood paste. For the next three weeks, the small brass deities or “utsava murtis” are also covered in sandalwood paste every day.

Sri Rama Navami is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Sri Ramachandra. Sri Ramachandra appeared in the month of Chaitra (March – April), on the ninth day of the growing moon (Chaitra Masa, Shukla Paksha, Navami Tithi) and this particular day is celebrated as Sri Rama Navami every year. This year we are celebrating the festival on March 25, 2018.

Why Lord Incarnates: –

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religion and the rise of irreligion the Lord appears millennium after millennium.

When the Lord comes to this world he doesn’t take birth like ordinary human beings but appears out of His own sweet will. Whenever there is a need for the protection of devotees the Lord appears taking various forms.

About Lord Ram : –

One such famous incarnation of The Supreme Lord is Lord Rama. The birth of Lord Rama is celebrated as Rama Navami. Lord Ramachandra is Krishna’s avatar who ruled the earth as the ideal king. He appeared more than two million years ago. Under the order of His father, Lord Ramachandra lived in the forest for fourteen years, along with His wife, Sita Devi, and His younger brother, Lakshmana.After the powerful demon Ravana kidnapped His wife, Lord Ramachandra rescued her, with the help of His faithful servant Hanuman, and killed Ravana along with Ravana’s armies. The Ramayana narrates the history of Lord Rama – the great King, Husband, ideal Son and Master. Lord Rama was an ideal son. He always obeyed his father and had great respect for his mothers.

Qualities of Lord Ram: –

He was a perfect King and ruler. Lord Rama ruled for 14,000 years. His reign till today is called Rama Rajya. When Lord Rama was ruling his people there was no famine in his kingdom, no scarcity of food and no disease ever affected anyone. The people in his kingdom had a strong bond of love with Him. They lived only to serve and please Him.He was very strict with troublemakers and punished them when necessary. He was handsome, strong, brave, chivalrous, fair, just, gentle, sweet, kind and always merciful to His devotees and all the citizens.

About the festival: –

The festival of Ram Navami marks the birthday celebrations of the Supreme Lord Sri Rama. According to the ancient Vedic calendar, it falls in the Spring season. It is considered auspicious to undertake a fast on the day in the name of Rama. Devotees perform elaborate worships and chant the name of Rama. Temples are decorated with flowers, leaves and have special services and bhajan sessions throughout the day. Stories from the Ramayana are read out in joyous public gatherings. Most people fast until midnight.

One significant and popular element of the celebration is the Ramayana parayana, a discourse on the Ramayana, by a devotee of Lord Rama. It usually lasts two to three days, ending on Rama Navami. The main significance behind the celebration of this festival is that the character of Lord Ram signifies an ideal son, an upright husband, a righteous King, and a loving brother and an ideal person, someone who follow the right path against all odds in life. He was also the true embodiment of humanity. So celebration of Ram Navami is a special way to remember all the noble deeds performed by Lord Ram. So in true sense it is not only a festival to enjoy and have fun but also an occasion where lot of ideals can learnt and taught. It is a celebration of goodness and its victory against all evils.

Significance of Celebration Ram Navmi: –

The birthday of Sri Rama, indeed, signifies an event worth of remembrance by everyone who cherish the time honored sublime values of human culture and civilization. Ram Navami is a festival of celebration and brings its devotees true happiness and joy. It gives them the strength and courage to fight against all odds of life.

Rama means ‘bliss’ and so Lord Rama provides bliss to all those who remember Him and pray to Him. Therefore let us all remember the activities and instructions of Lord Rama; follow them and achieve

We invite you to visit the temple and take the blessings of the Supreme Lord on this auspicious day.

Nothing defines the cultural fabric of the Jodhpur city better than the shobha yatras. With hundreds involved in preparation and lakhs viewing it, these yatras create festive spirit, bring people together and more above enlightens people. Sobhayatra is a unique way to present our culture and unites peoples. Nav-Varsh Mahostava Samiti every year organizes this sobhayatra on the eve of Bhartiya Nav-varsh.
On Chaitra Sukla Pratipada Navaratri begins and on the ninth day of thismonth is the Ram Navmi when lord Ram was born. The oldest and the biggest procession is organized by the Nav-Varsh Mahostava Samiti begins from Ghantaghar and ends at Jaljog Circle.
Such is the significance of this event, predominantly organized in the central parts of the city, that people from other religions participate with equal fervor. The procession crosses the Sojti Gate area, Puri Tihara, Railway Station, Jalori Gate, Ghandi Maidan, Sardarpura C road and people there also set up welcome gates to receive the yatra.
Sobhayatra started for the purpose of instilling some sanskars in the kids. The floats depicting sequences from our scriptures, performances of folk dances and the processions led by an event which we call mangal kalash, leave a deep imprint on the hearts and minds of our children who then learn to pay their obeisance to these traditions.
ISKCON Jodhpur devotees also make presence in this and participated enthusiastically. Devotees led by Hg Sundarlal Pr, Hg Yashoda Krishna Pr did Harinam and caught attention and enchanted them with their melodious Kirtan. Everyone just appreciated the efforts made by ISKCON to propagate the Hariman and teachings of Bhagavad-Gita to all over the world.

Gaura Purnima is the auspicious appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (who is also known as Gauranga due to His golden complexion), and this year we are celebrating the 532nd anniversary of His appearance on March 02, 2018. This festival also marks the beginning of the New Year for Gaudiya Vaishnavas.

The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish Sankirtana (chanting of the Holy Names) – the Yuga Dharma for this age of Kali. He appeared on Phalguni Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Phalguna, (Feb-March) in the year 1486 AD (1407 Shakabda) at Sridham Mayapura as the son of Sri Jagannath Mishra and Srimati Sachidevi. His parents named him Nimai since he was born under a nimba (neem) tree in the courtyard of His paternal house. His appearance day is celebrated as Gaura Purnima.

Why Lord Incarnates: –

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religion and the rise of irreligion the Lord appears millennium after millennium.

When the Lord comes to this world he doesn’t take birth like ordinary human beings but appears out of His own sweet will. Whenever there is a need for the protection of devotees the Lord appears taking various forms.

Who is He?

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared at Sridhama Mayapura, in the city of Navadvipa in Bengal, on the Phalguni Purnima (aka Gaura Purnima) evening in the year 1486 AD. His father, Sri Jagannatha Mishra, a learned brahmana from the district of Sylhet, came to Navadvipa as a student. He lived on the banks of the Ganges with his wife Srimati Sacidevi, a daughter of Srila Nilambara Cakravarti, a great learned scholar of Navadvipa. Their youngest son, who was named Vishvambhara, later became known as Nimai Pandita and then, after accepting the renounced order of life, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

His Mission – The Universal Religion

His mission was to preach the importance of chanting the holy names of the Lord in this age of Kali (quarrel). In this present age quarrels take place even over trifles, and therefore the ancient scriptures have recommended for this age a common platform for realization, namely chanting the holy names of the Lord. People can hold meetings to glorify the Lord in their respective languages and with melodious songs, and if such performances are executed in an offense-less manner, it is certain that the participants will gradually attain spiritual perfection without having to undergo more rigorous methods. At such meetings everyone, the learned and the foolish, the rich and the poor, the Hindus and the Muslims, the Englishmen and the Indians, and the candalas and the brahmanas, can all hear the transcendental sounds and thus cleanse the dust of material association from the mirror of the heart. To confirm the Lord’s mission, all the people of the world will accept the holy name of the Lord as the common platform for the universal religion of mankind.

The essence of His teachings is recorded in Caitanya Manjusha as follows:

Lord Sri Krsna, who appeared as the son of the King of Vraja (Nanda Maharaja), is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

He is the incarnation of mercy for all and even to the most wicked get His shelter.Vrindavana-dhama is non-different from the Lord and hence is as worshipable as the Lord.

The highest form of transcendental worship of the Lord was exhibited by the damsels of Vrajabhumi.

Srimad-Bhagavata Purana is the spotless literature for understanding the Lord.The ultimate goal of human life is to attain the stage of prema, or love of God.

The Lord left only eight slokas of His instructions in writing, and they are known as the Siksastakam. All other literatures based on His teachings were extensively written by the Lord’s principal followers, the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, and their followers.

Celebrations at ISKCON Jodhpur

The celebration begins in the evening with Kirtan. Than devotees performed a wonderful Drama depicting a most known and famous pastime of Lord Chaitanya ‘Chand Kazi and Lord Chaitanya’. Devotees just got spell wounded by seeing this wonderful Drama. Then the utsava Deities of Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga (Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda) are taken out and put on a plateform bedecked with flowers. Devotees perform maha sankirtana to please the Supreme Lord. As everyone joins in the sankirtana, the Hare Krishna maha mantra resounds in every corner of the temple.

After this, the Deities of Nitai Gauranga receive a grand abhisheka. Their Lordships are first bathed with panchamrita and then with panchagavya followed by various fruit juices. Devotees chant prayers from the Brahma-samhita, glorifying the Lord. A grand arati is performed to the accompaniment of the Gaura Arati song composed by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. After the arati, the Deities are bathed with sanctified water from 108 kalashas while the devotees chant the Purusha Sukta prayers. Their Lordships then receive pushpa vrishti (showering of flowers) and a special offering of 56 dishes (chappan bhog).

After that Hg Sundarlal Prabhu delivered a shout Pravachan on the pastimes of Lord Gauranga, he also explained the significance of Gaur Poornima and why we should celebrate it with great pomp.

Next follows a shayana arati when all the assembled devotees glorify Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by singing Sri Sachitanaya Ashtakam that describes His transcendental form, qualities and activities.

On this day, devotees fast till moonrise and break their fast by taking anukalpa feast (made from non-grains). On the following day, they offer a special feast to the Lord which is called Jagannath Mishra Feast, named after Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s father, who arranged a grand feast to celebrate the birth of his son.

We are very happy to invite you to celebrate the auspicious festival of Nityananda Trayodashi, the appearance day of Lord Nityananda, the incarnation of Lord Balarama for the age of Kali Yuga.

500 years ago Sri Sri Krishna Balarama incarnated as yugavatars for Kali-yuga in Mayapur (West Bengal) as Sri Sri Gaur Nitai and spread the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra to deliver the people of Kali Yuga.

On this day, the glories and pastimes of Sri Nityananda Prabhu from the great scriptures Chaitanya Charitamrita and Chaitanya Bhagavat are narrated in the morning and abhishek of Their Lordships is performed in the evening followed by bhoga offering and maha-arati.

This festival, which comes in the month of April- May is a very special day for all the devotees. Lord Narasimha Deva appears to protect his devotees. Hiranyakashipu, a demon controlling the three world, was extremely proud and he hated Lord Vishnu. But little Prahlada, his five year old son, was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Therefore, Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlada in several ways; but failed in all his attempts because of the protection given by Lord to his dear devotee.

Finally when Hiranyakashipu asked his little son where the Lord resides, Prahlada replied that the Lord resides everywhere. Mocking this response, Hiranyakashipu broke a pillar in his palace, and the Lord appeared from that pillar in his half man-half lion incarnation – Narasimha. He then killed the demon and thus protected his devotee. Lord Narasimha Deva removes the obstacles in the path of devotional service. Devotees who pray to him are always protected from all kinds of calamities. At Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, devotees celebrate Narasimha Chaturdasi by discussing the pastimes of the Lord from Srimad Bhagavatam. In the evening, Abhishek ceremony is performed for Deity of Lord Narasimha Deva as well as for his devotee Prahlada.